2 may face inquest evidence charges

Two police officers could face criminal charges over evidence given at the inquest into the death of musician Sean Rigg, a watchdog announced today.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it has passed information to prosecutors to consider whether two serving Metropolitan Police officers should be brought to court.

A sergeant and a police constable were arrested in March last year on suspicion of perjury and perverting the course of justice.

The watchdog said: " The IPCC has concluded its investigation into the evidence given at the inquest into the death of Sean Rigg and has decided to provide its investigation report to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for consideration as to whether criminal charges should be brought against two serving Metropolitan Police Service officers."

A third officer, who has retired, was also arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice but his actions have not been referred to the CPS.

Schizophrenic Mr Rigg died in August 2008 while he was being held at Brixton police station, and an inquest later found that the officers involved had used "unsuitable force".

They had arrested the 40-year-old for attacking passers-by and police officers in Balham, south London.

At the inquest into his death in 2012, evidence given about the actions of one officer on the night Mr Rigg died was called into question by CCTV footage from the police station.

This prompted an investigation by the IPCC, which has led to evidence being passed to the CPS.

Separately, the IPCC probe into Mr Rigg's death was condemned by his family as " extremely poor and ineffective", and last year a review of the investigation found that it should be looked at again.

This included the conduct o f the police officers involved in the arrest, restraint and detention of Mr Rigg, in relation to possible breaches of their duty of care and potential misconduct proceedings.

It also recommended that the claims of four officers that they did not know Mr Rigg was mentally ill when he had been acting strangely and was known to police, and a failure to run background checks when they found his passport, should be re-examined.

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